The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-10
OLD GRIDLEY'S GHOST.
Did It Cause the LOSS of the "oro
Finoq"

Did It Cause the Loss of the "Oro
Finoq"
'Why, Durham, what's tho matter?
flow your hand trembles! Are you
sickp"
mo; not exactly"
what ails you then? Speak out,
man. Have you been seeing a ghostP"
ITO tell the truth, Maggie, l do feel
a little nervous this morning. 4 haven't
made a trip these twenty yeajs that 1
dreaded like this"
..Scen Old Gridlcy again?"
yes"
.Pshaw! / thought that was it.
Haven't you een him a dozen times
before and nothing came of it?"
This time he had his sextant."
All this was at the breakfast-table.
Durham was mate of the Orc Elmo,
making tri-monthly trips between Port
land and San Francisco. He had sailed
thirty years, been round the world
twice, been captain about six years, but
lost his ship and couldn't get another,
and so was glad to be first mate of the
Orc Elmo.
Durham had a habit of seeing ghosts,
or, rather, a ghost, for he never saw
but one; that was old Gridley. Gridley
was mate on the vessel on which Dun
ham made his first trip as a ship-boy.
That trip was Dunham's first, but
Gridlcy's last Gridley had a passion
for beating ships boys with a ropes
end; he died in the act of beating Dun
ham with q ropes end. Gridley was
taking an observation with the sextant,
and, as the boy was passing him with
a bucket and swab, a sudden lurch Of
the ship threw him against the mate.
Gridley seized a ropes end, and was
belaboring the boy soundly when a
boom, providcntially left loose, struck
him and knocked him overheard. Ever
since that, ON numerous occasions,
Durham had seen Gridley's ghost
usually with q ropes end, but some
times with a sextant. He had never
becn able to see any particular fatality
portcnded by the vision with the ropes
end. He had seen it a dozen times;
and, on some occasions, his best luck
had seemed to follow the apparition.
Not SO when the ghost with the sextant
appeared. He had seen this only twice
once, the night before he fell from
the foretop and broke his leg; the other
time, tho night before his ship was cast
away.
Last night was the third time. He
had walked up and found himself lying
on his back. The room was perfectly
dark; it was also perfectly still. Dun
ham could see nothing and could hear
nothing. Nevertheless. he felt that
something or somebody was in the
room that ought to be out of it. He
also felt a draught of cold air. Dun
ham was no sticklcr for ventilated
apartments, and had carefully closed
and locked the windows before retiring.
The air could not come from the win
dows; neither could it come from the
bedroom door, for that opened into
the sitting-room just opposite to win
dow, and if the door had been open he
could have sec the window. Despite
his natural courage, Durham was
frightened. He raised himself on his
elbow very cautiously. He looked
about the room; he could see absolute
.ly nothing. He reached over to where
Maggie, his wife, slept-she was
there. He moistened his fin
ger in his mouth and held it up.
He could then sensibly feel the draft OF
air coming from the foot of his bed.
He got up and struck a light. Looking
over his shoulder as he did so. he Jaw,
at the foot of his bed, Old Gridley. II
would do no good to shout aloud-his
wife would only laugh at him. He had
often walked her up to look at the ghost,
but she professed never to see it. II
would do no good to go up to the ap.
partition and try to seize 1.-THE had
often done this, and it only disappeared
for an instant to reappear in another
part OF the room. So he left the lamp
burning and got into bed with his eyes
fixed on the figure.
This time Gridley had his sextant,
and seemed busy bringing an imaginary
sun down to an imaginary horizon.
The operation completed, the figure
turned to the bureau and seemed to be
making the calculation. Then he
turned to Durham. and shook his head
negatively. and dashed the sextant tc
the floor. A sudden crack startled the
mate. He had turned the lampwick
too high, and the chimney had cracked
and fallen to the floor.
In the morning Durham was a little
nervous. However. having taken a cur
or two of strong coffee, and, if it must
be confessed, a thimbleful of brandy,
he felt more composed.
Joey Durham, the mates only child,
a boy of ten years of age. almost al.
ways accompanied his father on his
trips. This time Durham proposed tc
leave him at home; but the boy seemed
SO disappointed that his father finally
gave way, and they started together
down to the wharf.
What a busy scene is the departure OF
m oceans steamer! Drays. buses. cabs,
carriages, rafting and laundering on
to the quay; mountains of luggage
piled upon the wharf. or being lowered
into the hold; stalwart Aliases stagger.
ing under the worlds of trunks which
they have sh%ouldered; mates. crews,
porters. cabmen, passengers. boys. all
shouting Justify in solo or chorus; the
ships engine blowing off steam with q
deafening roar; timid ladies. making
their first trip. being led trembling
over the plank and up the stairway. and
laid on the sofas in the cabin; old voy'
ayers. with mt leg owe the rail. smok'
ing their cigars-all conspire to make